He said he initially thought Perlmutter, a Golden Democrat, was nearly invincible because he won his re-election by 11 points last year against Republican Ryan Frazier, who was a “great candidate” running in a great year for the GOP.

CLARIFICATION:The Colorado AFL-CIO says it is not involved in the Aurora mayoral race but merely was forwarding a message from one of its local councils, the Denver Area Labor Federation. AFL-CIO director Mike Cerbo said his group works on statewide issues. Cerbo said their e-mail system automatically inserts the state group’s logo.

A major labor union is taking sides in Aurora’s mayoral race, saying, “It is imperative that we ensure Ryan Frazier never gets elected to office again.”

The Aurora race is nonpartisan but the two frontrunners, Councilman Ryan Frazier and former Councilman Steve Hogan, are Republicans.

Traditionally, labor unions and Republicans have been at odds but the Denver Area Labor Federation made the Aurora race one of its priorities for the Nov. 1 election:

“The labor movement understands the threat posed by Frazier, as we know he was the main proponent of the Right to Work ballot initiative in 2008. We know what Frazier is capable of and where he stands on unions and protecting workers. Hogan and Frazier are in a dead heat and we need your help to put Hogan over the edge. It is imperative that we ensure Ryan Frazier never gets elected to office again.

For the second time in less than a year, political consultant Sean Walsh is taking on Ryan Frazier but Walsh said it’s “just business, nothing personal.”

Last year, Walsh was the campaign manager for Lang Sias, who lost the GOP primary in the 7th Congressional District to Frazier, an Aurora city councilman. This year, Walsh is the general consultant for Aurora mayoral candidate Steve Hogan. One of Hogan’s opponents is Frazier.

During Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s inauguration on Monday, Walsh was walking to his seat.

“I hear this guy say, ‘Hey, Sean,’ and I turned around and it was Ryan. He complimented me on my new glasses,” Walsh said. “I respect the guy. He’s very nice. It just turns out that in the space of one year we’ve been on opposite sides. It’s nothing personal. It’s just business.”

Rep. Amy Stephens was DIA bound early this morning and more than a little frustrated to be stuck behind a slowpoke driver.

“I’m thinking, ‘Doesn’t he know I have to catch a plane to see my dear Cory Gardner get sworn in? C’mon!'” Stephens said.

As she got closer she saw a Cory Gardner bumper sticker, with its farm and mountain theme, on the vehicle. And then she realized she was driving behind Gardner.

Gardner was on the same flight headed to Washington, D.C. The Yuma Republican gets sworn in Wednesday as Colorado’s new congressman from the 4th Congressional District.

Joining Gardner in D.C. for the festivities will be three of his pals from the state House: Stephens, R-Monument, and the House majority leader elect; Speaker-elect Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch; and Rep. B.J. Nikkel, R-Loveland.

Also on the same flight: Susan Daggett, wife of Colorado’s elected senator, Democrat Michael Bennet; and Jim Knutson, brother in law state Rep. Scott Tipton, who also won his congressional race and will the congressman in the 3rd Congressional District.

“We’re thinking that we might run again in two years, but who knows? I’m keeping all options open,” he said. “We’ve been offered a possibility of serving at many other places, or there’s a great possibility of going back to the ranch and raising cattle.”

Salazar, a Democrat from Manassa, lost to Tipton by 3 percentage points. He attributed his loss to a flood of outside money that went to his opponent, Tipton.

Tipton, quoted in the Herald story, said he was unaware that Salazar was considering another run at the seat, which represents Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.

“We just got through an election,” Tipton said. “Frankly, I’m just trying to get focused on the job at hand.”

It probably will depend on how the political winds are blowing across the nation and how unaffiliated voters are leaning. The 3rd CD is a 29-county district that has nearly 130,000 Republicans, 114,000 Democrats and 97,000 unaffiliated voters.

Roll Call has a story about the House GOP transition team, which is sifting through “dozens of rules, schedules and other proposals offered by members,” including talks about the congressional cafeteria.

Republicans won the majority after the November election.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican and a member of the House Operations Working Group, told Roll Call that while “committee jurisdictional fights are probably the most pressing matter that needs to be acted upon by the Conference,” the “notoriously inadequate plastic utensils” in the Capitol complex cafeteria have also been a topic.

UPDATE: Brad Jones of Face the State writes “My folks are in Arlington, convenient to a Metro stop, and my old digs are now a guest bedroom. Free rent if Perlmutter agrees to indulge my dad’s occasional political rants.”

Must have AC.

Congressman Ed Perlmutter is looking for new digs and possibly a new roommate in Washington, D.C.

The Golden Democrat shares a place less than two blocks from his office building with fellow Democratic representatives Steve Kagen of Wisconsin and Bruce Braley of Iowa.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.